Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Jah Lloyd: Final Judgement

What a bad ass record cover, no?

Damn...

So what do you know about this record? Probably more than I do, which is only a wee bit more than I did when I started writing this piece...from the image I found of the back cover it is clear the album was recorded at King Tubby's in or around 1974, with Tubby himself at the dials...another snippet I found described the record as, "Collection of rare mid 70’s DJ singles"...ok...then I came across an obituary of Jah Lloyd, whose real name was Pat Francis...I could only access this preview of the obit without a registration, which I did not want to enter a credit card for...

"PAT FRANCIS was a fine singer and DJ who recorded under various aliases - Jah Lloyd, Jah Lion and Jah Ali - which reflected his Rastafarian beliefs. The original vinyl version of Colombia Colly, the album he cut as Jah Lion in 1976 for the producer Lee Perry, changes hands for pounds 70 and is a steady seller on CD, while his 1970s Jah Lloyd dub collections (Herb Dub, Final Judgement) are sought after by aficionados the world over...Born in 1947 in St Catherine, Jamaica, Francis had a rather unhappy childhood. His mother died when he was eight and he was subsequently brought up by his farming..."

And that is where the free preview trails off...

Can't say it isn't intriguing.

Then I remembered to throw my two Hail Mary's...wikipedia (nothin') and All Music Guide - score!

"Jamaica's Pat Francis recorded under a lot of names during the 1970s, including Jah Lion, Jah Lloyd and Black Lion of Judah, and given that his musical creations frequently centered on drug-related themes, he was sort of an early character blueprint for the flamboyant urban rappers of the late 1990s. In the mid-1960s he was a member of the Mediators, and he later scored hits with topical material like "Soldier Round the Corner," "Know Yourself Blackman" and "Killer Flour" for producer Rupie Edwards. Never afraid to reinvent himself, Francis turned toaster and DJ for tracks like "Black Snowfall" and "World Class." He tasted critical success as Jah Lion when he recorded the marvelous Columbia Colly album with producer Lee "Scratch" Perry at Perry's legendary Black Ark studio, including a striking version of the Little Willie John classic, "Fever." He became Jah Lloyd in 1978, signing a record deal with Front Line, and although songs like "Jah Lion" and "Cocaine" tried hard, they stirred up little public interest. Francis turned to production work as the 1970s ended, becoming Jah Lion again as the 1980s beckoned, and although he stayed active behind the scenes, his major recording work was behind him. Pat Francis was only 52 when he was killed in Kingston on June 12, 1999."

But of course none of this has anything to do with the record itself, which has a nice roots feel, plenty of toasting and even a couple of decent dubs.

Going with what I love best, that is what I will post today, a couple of the dubs...Enjoy.